What We Learned This Week

Posted By
Sara Libby
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January 22, 2017 @ 8:00 am
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News,What We Learned This Week |
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Man, those marches.

Even with all the preparation and reports of flights full of women headed to D.C.[1], I was legitimately shocked by the size of the Women’s March crowd in San Diego, and of those around the country.

This week, I spoke with two of the organizers of the San Diego Women’s March for a special podcast episode[2]. Both of them emphasized that the march is only a first, ahem, step if you’re seeking to change the direction government is headed.

So what can you do to make your voice heard on days when there isn’t a massive movement march? I’m glad you asked!

One of the simplest and most effective ways to make your voice heard is to call your representatives when they’ll be voting on something you care about. This post from a former congressional staffer lays out why phone calls actually make a difference[3], and why tweets and Facebook posts mostly don’t (letters land somewhere in the middle).

This tip sheet[4] has basic instructions for what to do and what not to do when you call a member of Congress, and how to make your call as effective as possible.

A few more tools for researching and advocating for issues you care about (this was compiled with help from the @techladymafia):

POPVOX[5] is an online platform that tracks legislation and allows people to add their personal testimonies, and to engage with their representatives. Advocate groups and individuals can make their positions known on specific bills.

2 Hours a Week[6] is an online community that offers suggestions for civic action, the idea being that you put in two hours a week. Many of the specific calls to action are in support of progressive causes, but others are more general, like having a meaningful conversation with your loved ones about what issues matter to you.

IssueVoter[7] lets you track individual bills and issues you care about. You can get alerts when they’re up for a vote, and send your opinion directly to your representative.

[8] Both the city and county pension funds have about $7 billion less than they need to cover earned benefits: https://www.voiceofsandiego.org/topics/government/despite-reforms-city-county-pension-funds-billions-short/

[9] driving the agency to reconsider how a booming senior population will get around in the future: https://www.voiceofsandiego.org/topics/government/mts-faces-growing-pains-as-san-diegos-senior-population-keeps-climbing/

[10] remarkably candid about homelessness, the future of the East Village and San Diego’s sports future: https://www.voiceofsandiego.org/topics/news/vosd-podcast-padres-boss-vacuum-chargers-left-east-villages-future/

[11] how the Padres ended up with a mishmash of boring and basic uniforms: https://www.voiceofsandiego.org/topics/sports/consistency-padres-uniforms-inconsistency/

[22] good thoughts on journalism in the Trump era: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/the-case-for-not-being-crybabies

[23] this explanation of the political crises unfolding in Mexico: http://www.worldpoliticsreview.com/articles/20929/mexico-faces-a-crucial-year-as-trump-and-domestic-pressures-converge

[24] an astonishing compilation of instances in which police officers’ lies were directly contradicted by video evidence: https://www.buzzfeed.com/albertsamaha/blue-lies-matter?utm_term=.alwl646kN#.yiWnxexmR